Ferreira came under scrutiny from immigration officials years ago when someone stole his identity and committed several crimes.

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A U.S. Customs and Border Protection employee look out over the U.S.-Mexico Border area.

A man whose wife and daughter are seriously ill has been taken into custody in Connecticut for deportation to the Dominican Republic because of a 12-year-old conviction for stealing a purse.

Domingo Ferreira appeared Thursday in federal court in Hartford, Connecticut. It wasn't clear when he would be deported. The 44-year-old East Hartford resident came to the U.S. 30 years ago and had a green card.

Ferreira's wife, Diane, and three adult children were born in the U.S.

The Journal Inquirer reports that she has an inoperable brain tumor and his 23-year-old daughter, Baceida, recently underwent chemotherapy for possible liver or pancreatic cancer.